Northside Park is a 62-acre multi use area located in Norfolk, Virginia, that includes tennis courts, a skate park, ball fields, an indoor pool, and more. There is also an unofficial network of trails in a wooded section in the back of the park. Over the past year and a half, Bike Norfolk has been working with the City of Norfolk and Keep Norfolk Beautiful to open these trails officially to mountain bikers, runners, and hikers. The effort was started when Michael Seek came to a Norfolk bike/ped commission meeting to pitch the idea. Soon after, he and his wife Melissa became active in Bike Norfolk and official trail designation for Northside Park became one of our long term goals. In conjunction with other groups, we have been cleaning & clearing the trails and connecting dead ends to create a continuous network. Having the trail officially recognized by the city would mean regular maintenance, trail signage, listing the trails as a park amenity, and having rides and events that incorporate the trail.
In June 2019 we got a huge boost towards meeting our goal when Bike Norfolk was awarded a $4000 grant for trailhead signage and wayfinding by Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI). Additionally, Bike Norfolk has been working with the City of Norfolk to craft a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) so that we can adopt the trails. Once we have the MOU in place, we can move forward with the design and installation of a trailhead kiosk, the sign will show the start of the trail network, describe the rules of use, and show a basic map. We also hope to provide way-finding signage. Other priorities are tools, gravel, fill dirt, and pavers that we may need to purchase to support the project.
Our goal is to have the MOU take affect in the summer of 2019, and have an official trail opening before the end of the year.
We hope to see you on the trails!
Community Partners: REI, Keep Norfolk Beautiful, Crossroads Civic League, Siren Skate Shop, East Coast Bicycles
Bike Norfolk Contacts:
Mike and Melissa Seek, project managers, 423-220-7205, melissapresnell36@yahoo.com
